Chef Carissa Tkachyk

Private Chef In Calgary

I am a red seal chef with over 25 years experience in the industry. I am currently a professional cooking instructor. I have worked in hotels, convention centres, fine dining and bistros. I was Alberta Apprentice of the year. Alberta and National Champion in The Chaine des Rotisseurs Jeune Commis competition Canada and fourth place in the International Competition. My strength is creating customized menus to suit individual tastes. I would describe my cooking as classically French trained, with ethnic influences, using seasonal and local ingredients as much as possible.

For me, cooking is...

My passion, my lifestyle and my joy

I learned to cook at...

Southern institute of technology in Calgary

A cooking secret...

Cook with passion, using seasonal, fresh ingredients.

My menus

Christmas 2024

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Pan seared jumbo scallops/ butternut squash purée/ applewood smoked bacon lardon/ fried sage

Ahi tuna crudo/ lemon-dill vinaigrette/ caperberries

Beet cured salmon gravlax, potato blini creme fraiche,dill

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Good leaf farms baby greens, pomegranate, candied walnuts, goat fetawalnut vinaigrette

Deep water farms greens, apple, roast beets, candied pecans/ chvere/ apple white balsamic vinaigrette

Brandied lobster bisque with brioche croutons/ creme fraiche

Carrot- ginger soup/ cilantro oil/ won ton crisps

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion/ truffle scented wild mushroom ragout/ potato pave

Pan roasted duck breast/savory duck confit and cranberry bread pudding/ Marsala jus/ heirloom carrots

Hazelnut crusted rack of lamb/ Chianti jus/ spinach- Parmesan risotto

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Sticky toffee pudding, rum caramel, handmade vanilla bean ice cream

Dark chocolate mousse/ white chocolate candy cane bark/ shortbread cookie crumble

Espresso panna cotta/ grand marnier berries almond tuille

Warm gingerbread pear cake/ rum caramel/ handmade vanilla bean ice cream

A very French summer

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi tuna crude with lemon , caper and herb vinaigrette

Classic beef tartare with hand cut potato chips

Proscuitto wrapped melon with buratta cheese, white balsamic glaze/mint

St. Andre cheese with summer berry compote, crostini

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chilled cucumber soup with crab

Cucumber wrapped field greens with champagne vinaigrette

Pan seared scallops with melon salsa

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Cornish hen duo, confit leg, pan roast breast , potato pave, orange tarragon veloute, asparagus

Mustard- herb crusted rack of lamb, burgundy jus, potato gratinFrench beans

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion, , roast lobster tail, bearnaise sauce,, asparaguschateau potato, f

Pan roasted halibut on a bed of french lentils and kale, champagne beurre blanc

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Creme brulee duo : Chocolate and vanilla bean mini creme brûlées with berries

Chocolate pot du creme with grand marnier berries

Espresso panna cotta with grand marnier marinated berries , ammaretti cookie crumble

Tapas party

STARTER

All inclusive

Crudite platter with creamy feta dip

Manchego cheese cups with goats cheese mousse and black olive tapenade

Chilled gazpacho with shrimp

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Serrano ham wrapped melon with white balsamic glaze and mint

Scallop ceviche in cucumber cups

Chorizo sausage and potato skewers with Spanish paprika and roast garlic aioli

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Proscuitto, caramelized onion and cambazola flatbread with balsamic glaze

Spiced lamb meatballs with tomato chutney

Chicken empanadas with cilantro- lime crema

DESSERT

All inclusive

Cooking lesson

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Traditional bruschetta with gluten free crostini

Baked proscuitto wrapped prawns with basil cream sauce

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Italian wedding soup

Minestrone

Homemade Caesar salad

Traditional caprese salad

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Braised beef braciole with polenta

GF chicken Parmesan with herb risotto

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion, truffle butter, broccolini, mushroom shaped roast potatoes

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Espresso OR vanilla bean panna cotta with fresh berries

Flourless Italian chocolate almond cake with raspberry coulis

Spring inspired by Asia (GF)

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Raw tuna with sesame - miso vinaigrette

Beef tataki with ponzu aioli

Lemon grass poached jumbo prawns with edamame purée/ pickled vegetables

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Carrot ginger soup with cilantro oil and lotus root chips, black sesame

Pan seared jumbo scallops in a Thai coconut green curry broth

Mixed tender greens with coconut anise vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Sichuan peppercorn crusted rack of lamb, star anise scented au jus, sweet potato purée/chinese broccoli

Seared beef tenderloin with garlic tamari butter, pickled bell peppers on a bed of sautéed baby bok choy

Roast duck breast , 5 spice pan jus, duck confit, white sweet potato purée, braised Asian greens

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lychee creme brûlée with berries

Green tea Panna Cotta with mango, kiwi and dragon fruit

French summer

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Classic beef tartare with hand cut potato chips

Fresh shucked oysters with shallot mignonette

Pan seared scallops with lobster sauce, pea shoots

Salmon ceviche with lime marinated beets and horseradish cream

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chilled cucumber soup with crab

Asparagus and brie soup with brioche croutons

Field greens with goat cheese fritter, cherries, honey hazelnuts, hazelnut vinaigrette

Baby spinach and arugula with feta and watermelon, basil vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Hazelnut crusted rack of lamb , Marsala jus, potato celeriac purée, spring vegetable medley

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion , brandy peppercorn sauce, chateau potato, asparagus

Pan seared halibut, lemon caper beurre blanc, pomme anna, garden beans

Cornish hen two ways, pan seared breast, confit leg, orange tarragon jus, potato celeriac puree, zucchini and carrot, tournant

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Vanilla bean creme brûlée with fresh berries

Chocolate pot du crème with grand marnier. errors, almond cookie crumble

Dark chocolate caramel tart with crème anglaise, summer berries

Lemon curd tart with berry coulis, toasted meringue

French spring

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Beet cured salmon gravlax with creamy herbed cucumbers

Pan seared jumbo scallops on a minted pea purée

Classic beef tartare with hand made crackers

Citrus scented duck rillete with baguette crostini

Vegetarian option: burrata cheese with Melon carpaccio, white balsamic glaze and mint

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Brandied shrimp bisque with brioche croutons/ Creme fraiche

Creamy of asparagus soup with Brie, walnut-parsley pistou

Baby butter leaf lettuces with snow peas, radish and cucumber, creamy herb vinagrette

Chilled cucumber soup with crab ( omit crab for vegetarians);

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Deconstructed salmon vichychoisse. pan seared salmon fillet, yukon gold puree, braised leeks and dill

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion topped with a roasted lobster tail, bearnaise sauce/ chateau potato/ asparagus

Hazelnut crusted rack of lamb , Marsala jus, potato celeriac purée, spring vegetable medley

Cornish hen duo, roast breast supreme, confit leg, tarragon veloute, duck fat potato pave, braised greens

Vegetarian option: mushroom Wellington over baked ratatouille

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Creme brulee trio / Chocolate, grand marnier and vanilla bean mini creme brûlée, fresh berries

Dark chocolate caramel tart with creme anglaise and grand marnier marinated berries

Food with friends, GF/LF

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Pan seared jumbo scallops with carrot- ginger purée/ plantain crisps

Fresh oysters on the half shell with shallot mignonette

Classic beef tartare with hand cut potato chips

Sake poached prawns with edamame purée and pickled veg

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted buttercup squash bisque with pancetta, toasted pumpkin seeds and sage

Baby arugula with sun-dried fruit and candied walnuts, basil vinaigrette

Tender greens and herbs, gold beets, heirloom radishes, Persian cucumbers, roasted hazelnuts, champagne vinaigrette

Yam and ginger soup with toasted sesame seeds, cilantro oil and rice paper chips

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Cornish hen duo, confit leg, pan roast breast , orange tarragon veloute, potato celeriac purée, garden beans

Hazelnut crusted rack of lamb, herbed potato puree, sour cherry jus, broccolini

Coffee spice rubbed beef tenderloin medallion tomato-cilantro relish/ olive oil mashed Yams / roast green beans

Bacon wrapped duck breast stuffed with spinach and cranberries, orange- brandy jus, potato-parsnip puree

Bacon wrapped roast beef tenderloin, port wine Demi glaze, chateau potato, heirloom carrots

Pan seared salmon on a lentil and root vegetable ragout, red wine jus

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Coconut milk creme brûlée with tropical fruit

Flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and hand made coconut milk ice cream/ grand marnier berries

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Chef Carissa's reviews

4.78

•

102 services

Carissa was amazing. The food was amazing. The overall experience was better than expected. I would love to do it again and again and again......

Great experience, will definitely book again!

Carissa was exceptional in every way, would highly recommend her. The night start with a couple kids that didn’t want to fall asleep right away, and Carissa was so accommodating with the timing so that we were all able to enjoy dinner.

Chef Carissa was outstanding. Menu fit exactly what we asked for, food was great, very nicely presented. Can’t wait to eat their food again!

Chef Carissa was great! Very experienced! The food was amazing! My family thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Chef Carissa created an inventive menu that proved to be even more delicious than its description. Carissa was able to accommodate several dietary restriction, while maintaining a wonderfully cohesive theme. The food was fantastic, the presentation was beautiful, and the service was impeccable. Our party was a group of well travelled foodies, all of whom were very impressed with Chef Carissa's culinary instincts and execution. Every course was well beyond expectation, creating a most memorable meal. The food was described well, without our party ever feeling that we were being interrupted or intruded upon. And the kitchen was spotless when Chef and her colleague left. I highly recommend Chef Carissa for any group looking for great food and service.

Chef Carissa was wonderful. She was much on time, on the ball and did beautiful presentations. The food was very good and you could tell she is an expert at gourmet dishes. I revised the menu slightly and she was very easy going to alter and tailor my requests. I would highly recommend her and I would hire her again in the future! You won't be disappointed with this Chef.

Chef Carissa was super nice and professional. The food was unbelievable.

Carissa knows what shes doing in the kitchen! I had a party of 12 and asked her for a ten plate tasting menu and she did amazing. Each dish was unique and delicious. My group really enjoyed the experience and would definitely recommend her to anyone wanting to try a chef at home! Thanks Carissa!

Carissa was amazing. She was conversational but didn’t overdo it. Smiled a lot. Could sense her passion for being a chef.

This was an incredible evening that I couldn't recommend enough to anyone thinking about trying. The entire experience was smooth and easy to navigate, I gave some basics as to what I was looking for and Chef Carissa did the rest. She had multiple options and provided feedback along the way. The night of was great we could sit back and relax as she prepped and got things ready and then once dinner was prepared everything was wonderful. The food and attention to detail with the presentation was amazing. If your looking for a fine dinning option as home this is it, from wiping the plates down before serving to make sure there wasn't any stray spots of sauce to even offering up wine pairing suggestions if that's your thing. She was easy to talk to and I can not recommend her enough. You won't be disappointed.

Chef Tkachyk was superb in every respect. Highly recommend.

We had a very positive experience with Chef Carissa. Our family had some food restrictions which I thought may make the chefs job harder. With the menu selection we got to choose from that wasn't the case. We communicated mainly by email from the website and answered any questions we had. She was on time and even while preping the food was chatty which was nice, we had lots of questions about what she was preparing and how. The meal was delicious and the portion sizes were spot on. All I had to do was set the table and have the dishes set out for her. Once the meal was done I was suprised that the kitchen was clean, in our house we have a rule who cooks doesn't clean but was very suprised it was cleaned up, we really appreciated that. Chef was very nice and chatty presented the meals so we knew what was served and we liked that she even mentioned the farmers markets that she got some ingredients from. Overall a very pleasant experience and would highly recommend Chef Carissa to everyone.

We had a romantic dinner for two for our first anniversary. Carissa Tkachyk was our Chef. We asked her for a French menu and she provided us with a number of excellent options for each course. We chose the scallops with minted pea puree to start, next a salad of greens and for the main the beef tenderloin with roasted lobster, asparagus and chateaux potatoes. The dessert was chocolate pot au creme with berries. She provided an amuse bouche of watermelon with prosciutto and basil and a lemoncello sorbet as a palate cleanser. Carissa did an amazing job in all respects. Starting with a fantastic menu, high quality ingredients, beautiful presentation and of course she is a marvelous chef. Her food was absolutely delicious. She arrived promptly and everything went seamlessly after that. We would highly recommend her. Heather and Glenn

Carissa was a delight to work with, very professional and the meal was outstanding. All our guests had a wonderful evening I will definitely recommend her services Thank you

First time we have tried a private Chef experience. Very well done! Chef Carrie was awesome, the food was great and overall we will recommend. Note for improvement! This was gift certificate from my previous employer and had an expiry date. So I had to book the event well in advance to ensure the certificate did not expire. There should be no expiry for gift cards/ certificates issued in Canada as it is illegal to put expiry dates on them. Thanks

What an incredible experience! Food was to die for, and she was professional, kind, and incredibly hard working. Would highly recommend!!!

Chef Carissa was amazing. The food was delicious and it look also very nice. We will defenetly hire her again for another great dinner experience. Thanks for everything Chef Carissa.

Excellent presentation and amazing food experience

Carissa was awesome and her dishes were out of this world amazing. This was the first time we have ever had a chef come in to the house and I would recommend everyone to try this at least once. It was a truly amazing experience.